Wal-Mart about to get the shaft in MD

[Strut10]

Have you seen the latest from the People's Republic of Maryland?? Legislators there have passed a bill requiring all private employers with over 10,000 employees (read: Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart alone) are going to be required by law to spend 8% of their annual cash revenues on employee health & welfare benefits. Wal-Mart employs 17,000 in Maryland.

Seems the lawmakers in Maryland can't stand to see capitalism at work and the unions can't stand to see money being made without them. They are calling it somewthing like the "Fair Share" initiative. So, now, I guess, it's up to the government to tell us what our "fair share" is.

30 other states have already said they will use this as the precedent-setting case to screw big business in the same manner. Already, West Virginia has drafted an, almost, identical bill.

IMHO....... Wal-Mart should either,

A: Lay off 7001 employees in Maryland to avoid (until the legislators lower the employee ceiling) the payout, or,

B: Inform the governor of Maryland that as of Friday, all its stores will close and he can explain to 17,000 unemployed folks where they can go get a new job.

This is crap with a capital "C"!! If this goes through and Wal-Mart lets it.......the effect will be so far-reaching it'll be unreal.

[okbowman]

We're becoming more and more Socialist all the time!! If they hate Walmart that much, just don't shop there, lets face it they got there in the last 30 years or so by hard work and low prices, why punish them for it?

[johnf]

If they would just break down and socilize medicine, they wouldn't have to worry about Wal-mart and their insurrance policies.

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
......lets face it they got there in the last 30 years or so by hard work and low prices, why punish them for it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because that's the #1 strategy right out of the liberals' playbook...... penalize people/companies for being succesful. Look at the tax code. The more you make, the more they take. Some incentive to do better in life, ain't it??

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
If they would just break down and socilize medicine, they wouldn't have to worry about Wal-mart and their insurrance policies.

[/ QUOTE ]

No. Then we'd have to wonder how many weeks or months the wait was going to be for an apendectomy or an MRI. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[johnf]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If they would just break down and socilize medicine, they wouldn't have to worry about Wal-mart and their insurrance policies.

[/ QUOTE ]

No. Then we'd have to wonder how many weeks or months the wait was going to be for an apendectomy or an MRI. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I was talking about Maryland, not the states with working brains.

[huntn4bucks]

[ QUOTE ]
Because that's the #1 strategy right out of the liberals' playbook...... penalize people/companies for being succesful. Look at the tax code. The more you make, the more they take. Some incentive to do better in life, ain't it??

[/ QUOTE ]
Ain't that the truth. Work harder so others can work less...or better yet...not at all! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[hutchies]

I bet wal mart is furious over this. I really don't have a problem with it. My wife worked at wal mart for years when she was younger and they pushed her to work harder and harder everyday and the pay was horrible with no benefits. Wal Mart takes advantage of their workers. My mother in law still works at Wal Mart. They have here as head over sporting goods and automotive. She is supposed to be making around $12. Her manager has her at nine and she called corporate and they said they can't approve it without the managers paperwork and authorization.

I buy from Wal Mart but I am not a fan of their policies. I try to buy as little as possible there but living in a small town you don't have alot of choice.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

I agree that WalMart has some problems, but getting the government involved isn't the way to address them. This is an issue that needs to be worked out between the company and it's employees. If enough employees don't like the way the company's run, they can try to force the company to change or they can find employment elsewhere. And I have a hard time believing that the state of Maryland is really that concerned about the welfare of some particular group of people. Sounds more like a money/power grab to me.

[hutchies]

I don't understand how people can standup for Wal-Mart and say that they we shouldn't put a tax on bigger buisnesses that have over 10,000 employees when the sons and daughters of Sam Walton are worth what......oh around 15-16 billion each.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

From the 60's protest song I'd Love To Change The World by Ten Years After...

Tax the rich
Feed the poor
Till there are no
Rich no more

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you


http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Master_Chief]

Just because the kids are wealthy, the government has the right to dictate their policy? Are we in Moscow here? If the workers don't like the workplace/policy this is a free country. Feel free to find another job.

[hutchies]

Ok, Say 17,000 people quit Wal Mart in Maryland. What would the unemployment look like then?

Many people are trapped in the job they are in because they have to have a weekly check.

[Master_Chief]

If 17000 people quit they have exercised their freedom to do that. This is all over medical expenses. Wal Mart has 18 different plans to choose from. I think the Gov't needs to stay out of it.

If they are that worried about healthcare then the military offers a great plan, good retirement too. The added bonus then that they will protect peoples rights to continue to work where they please.

[slugshooter]

So, is the problem here that Wal-Mart should be praised for not offering decent health care to their workers. I am trying to figure out what the main beef here is. I wouldn't praise all the great things Wal-Mart has done unless you have worked there, which for close to 2 years I worked at a distribution center, which is much different from a store. The pay was good, I never had a problem getting paid my overtime wages, I was never told to work off the clock, and I never had a problem with the health plan I used. The downside is you get treated like crap and worked to the bone and it is implied that if you don't agree with the "Wal-Mart Way" you can go elsewhere. The upper management in the DC thought they controlled the universe, and Wal-Mart feeds that thought.

[Washi]

From what I heard on the news Walmart is the only company in the entire state that is paying less than 8% for health and welfare benefits. Why not make them pay the same as everyone else? Seems fair to me. If they were having to pay more I could see you saying they were getting screwed but since they were paying less I say they were getting treated better than everyone else which isn't fair either.

[DSGB]

When the employees of Wal-Mart accepted the job, they knew that there was no health care or benefits. Why do they expect it now?

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

I agree. Whether WalMart spends 8%, 28%, or 0% on employee healthcare, it's their decision, NOT the local, state or federal government's.

[hutchies]

I just don't agree with making billions and treating your employees like crap. Alot of people without a college degree end up at wal mart...............are you saying because they don't have an education they should be treated 2nd rate???????????????

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Not at all. I'm saying that if the employees dislike the way WalMart (or any other company for that matter) handles their benefits then they should either try to get it changed internally or find another job.

Again, i'm not siding with WalMart because I think their practices are perfect. I'm siding with them because I don't think it's any of the government's business what health benefits are offered.

In other words, I see this as just another example of government intrusion into an area where they should have no say what so ever.

[G-Daddy]

I heard on the news that Wal Mart actually spends more than the 8%. The problem as I see it is that the state is using this as precedent to establish a concept. Then they can later modify it to any company that employs 5000 or 1000 or 500. They can also modify the 8% to 10% or 12% or 25%.

[Mathews XT Man]

I bet there are TONS of Mexicans that would LOVE a WalMart job!!!! people in this country forgot how to work and appreciate a paycheck if you ask me...

Keep the Government out of it..this will only be a quagmire when they get done with it. Then wheres your everyday low price??? GONE!!!!!!!

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
The problem as I see it is that the state is using this as precedent to establish a concept. Then they can later modify it to any company that employs 5000 or 1000 or 500. They can also modify the 8% to 10% or 12% or 25%.

[/ QUOTE ]

EXACTLY!!!!!!!

Once the foot is in the door, the sky's the limit. Plus the precedent is set for other states. Rhode Island is waiting in the wings with a very similar plan.......except their benchmark is companies with 1000 or more employees. Which state will be next?? Which state will set it at 100 employees?? Will your boss be looking at you and thinking "Can I do without this person to get me down under the employee ceiling??"

Whether you like Wal-Mart or agree with its employee relations policies, you gotta understand how far-reaching the effects of the implementation of this law will be.

[horst]

Sounds to me like MD is singling out large chain stores like Walmart with this law.Honestly, if they made it a law for all employees in the state of MD to pay out 8% in health care I wouldnt have a problem with it, Id almost think it was a good idea actually.But limiting it to places employing 10,000 or more is a crock IMO, the government has no businuesse singling these large corporations out http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[ruttinbuc]

The problem here is not Walmart or the state of Maryland. It is the runaway truck called healthcare. The costs are outrageous at the expense of all people! Where does it stop and how far will it run?

[stevebeilgard]

high health care costs will stop with tort reform. ever ask your doctor how much he pays for insurance? keep the lawyers at bay and costs will come down

[hutchies]

[ QUOTE ]
I bet there are TONS of Mexicans that would LOVE a WalMart job!!!!


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah they would love a job because down there pay rates are low but so is the cost of living. What they don't realize is a single person renting a house and paying bills CAN NOT even afford to live. My mother in law struggles to keep things paid because their payscale is horrible til you hit the top rung of the company. Why don't they take the store managers bonus for the year and even it out among the workers that worked under him so hard to make him all that money.

[horst]

[ QUOTE ]
Why don't they take the store managers bonus for the year and even it out among the workers that worked under him so hard to make him all that money.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hutchies, if someones a store manager he got to be one because he either went and got a college education or he has been in the place a long time and proven himself to be a good employee.
your suggesting he should be penalized for improving himself while 90% of the people on the floor working barely have a clue what theyre job actually is.Theres a big difference between running a store and stocking shelves.

[hutchies]

The local wal mart here most of the people have been there at least 5 years. And the bad part is Wal marts wages are lower than McDonalds. We recently got a big lot's distribution center here in town. First week the ad was in the paper they were offering $10 an hour. Next week $7.50. You know why Wal Mart got pissed and had a talk with the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor here and told them they would not be able to keep employees.

I am still questioning........Since they don't have a college degree does that mean they should be treated 2nd rate??????????

[Master_Chief]

Hutchies. There is no way they should be treated 2nd rate. They should not also expect to make the wages and have the benefits of those who do.

[hutchies]

Why?????? If a person with an elementary background can do the job as well as someone that had a PHD then why shouldn't they get paid the same?

[BuckNrut]

[ QUOTE ]
Hutchies. There is no way they should be treated 2nd rate. They should not also expect to make the wages and have the benefits of those who do.

[/ QUOTE ]

In other words, Yes. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[hutchies]

I am suprised anyone had the cahonees to actually come out and say that. Honestly I didn't expect a response because nobody wants to say that they are better than another person.

[horst]

[ QUOTE ]
Why?????? If a person with an elementary background can do the job as well as someone that had a PHD then why shouldn't they get paid the same?


[/ QUOTE ]

All about qualifications Hutchies.You cant honestly sit there and tell me if you ran a company and had 2 applications for a management job on youre desk, one from someone with a college education and one from someone that stocked shelves thier whole life and dropped out in the 7th grade youd have a hard time deciding who to put in charge.

[BowJoe]

One thing most people don't know is that people that have been there for ten years usually don't even make $8 an hour. I make more than that and I do less work with no college. I felt bad when a friend of mine that has been there for 20 yrs tried to apply to have the Gastric Bypass with Wal-Mart's so-called insurance. He was denied with a flat no and was shown a specific part in his plan that Wal-Mart had added into their insurance. It stated that they would not pay any part of weight loss related medical costs. My friend weighed almost 600 lbs and was an extremely high risk of so many medical problems. He ended up getting a loan to pay for it and now he will spend the rest of his life paying it back. Yeah Wal-Mart cares alright. In case others on here and Wal-Mart didn't know, Obesity is a disease and should be treated as such in the best way possible. That's like saying hey we don't cover cancer surgery to remove that tumor from your lungs, but you'll be here on time in the morning right? Why shouldn't people that work have better health coverage than people that live on our public health care. These same people that you are saying have a choice to find another job could also be sitting at home collecting a public aid check or Social Security Income check instead of working. But they choose to work and shouldn't be punished for wanting a little bit more for themselves and their families by actually working for it. I think Wal-Mart needs to start paying it's fair share for people and their families. At least their off our wallets. If you look at it, it's kind of like Wally World is a big celebrity and the workers are it's fans. The fans make the Celebrity, not the other way around. And if you crap on your fans long enough you may end up on Where are they now.

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing most people don't know is that people that have been there for ten years usually don't even make $8 an hour. I make more than that and I do less work with no college. I felt bad when a friend of mine that has been there for 20 yrs tried to apply to have the Gastric Bypass with Wal-Mart's so-called insurance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then why don't you encourage your friend to leave evil Wal-Mart and come to work where you do???

[ QUOTE ]
It stated that they would not pay any part of weight loss related medical costs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nor should they..........not any more than they should pay for my mouth cancer treatments if I chewed tobacco all my life.

[ QUOTE ]
In case others on here and Wal-Mart didn't know, Obesity is a disease...

[/ QUOTE ]

No. No, it isn't. But that's another discussion.

[ QUOTE ]
Why shouldn't people that work have better health coverage than people that live on our public health care.

[/ QUOTE ]

They should. But it's not Wal-Mart's fault that they don't furnish enough benefits. It's the governments fault that they furnish too many.

[ QUOTE ]
But they choose to work and shouldn't be punished for wanting a little bit more for themselves and their families by actually working for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

So having the government pass a law that steals 8% of Wal-Mart's cash revenue is "working for it"????????

[ QUOTE ]
I think Wal-Mart needs to start paying it's fair share for people and their families.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Fair share" = Forcibly removing wealth from someone whom the government can demonize for making "too much" and re-distributing it to less productive or non-productive members of society who have been convinced by that same government (through class envy)that they deserve it more.

Typical liberal democrat vomit.

"From each, according to their ablilities. To each, according to their needs." Ever hear that before???

[VermontHunter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why?????? If a person with an elementary background can do the job as well as someone that had a PHD then why shouldn't they get paid the same?


[/ QUOTE ]

All about qualifications Hutchies.You cant honestly sit there and tell me if you ran a company and had 2 applications for a management job on youre desk, one from someone with a college education and one from someone that stocked shelves thier whole life and dropped out in the 7th grade youd have a hard time deciding who to put in charge.

[/ QUOTE ]

horst,, I usually tend to agree with alot you have to say but on this one I have to disagree...

I can answer that question without hesitation,, when I need to hire replacement personal,, the first thing I look for is pratical experience, reliability, then education.

To me a persons education is very important, but I have to say there is a reason for the term,,, "EDUCATED IDIOT" some just can't apply what they have learned in collage to real life working conditions,,nothing will ever replace real actual hands on experience... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Now with that being said,, 4-6 years of collage is almost a most in todays society, to land a decent job... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Is it Walmart's fault you as an employee don't get good medical coverage.... NOPE,, it's the insurance companies that inflate the premiums,, and the government that hasn't the backbone to stand up to them... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[horst]

ok VH, but like I said, if all theyve done in life is stocked shelves and manual labor of that sort wheres the qualifications to run an entire store?Im not saying the college diploma means a lot in some cases and Ive meant some of these "educated idiots"
myself.But still, working somewhere doesnt mean your qualified to be management there no matter how good of worker or reliable you are.

[VermontHunter]

[ QUOTE ]
ok VH, but like I said, if all theyve done in life is stocked shelves and manual labor of that sort wheres the qualifications to run an entire store?

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL.. I started out wrapping meat in the meat dept.... and NOW I help manage a FOOD CITY SUPERMARKET,, experience comes with the willingness to learn as we go, but like I said and agree with education is of the upmost importance, if you are fortunate enough to get a collage education NEVER pass it up.... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif it will only benifit you...

I may be one of the exceptions to the rule,,, but as you have stated horst.... a person with a degree will most likely leave a person without one in the dust, even tho they don't have the years and experience you have... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Employeer's love degree's,, to them it usually shows dedication, and the willingness to stick things out... http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[BowJoe]

So as Strut so eloquently stated, I should tell my friend to quit the job he has been at for over 20 yrs. and come work with me. Why should he have to switch jobs in order to save his life? I don't hear this much argument about all of the people that have the same procedure done on public aid. And yes, in case you don't read much Strut, obesity is a disease both of the mind and body. Do you mean to tell me that if the government offered to pay for your cancer of the mouth treatment that you would turn them down? I think you'd be there with bells on for all the help you could get regardless of how you got it. I also got the meaning of you saying it's all his fault for being overweight. Just like all the guys that want to say every big animal on here is photoshopped you wanna act like you know my friend and the exact reason he is the size he is. All he asked is for Wal-Mart to help save his life for all of the years of hard work. I think he deserves it and they should be happy to help him.

[slugshooter]

Some people are obese because they eat too much and are too lazy to get up off their rears and stop watching "The Biggest Loser," while others are obese because of a medical condition (anyone ever hear of an underactive thyroid?) I knew a guy in the Air Force whose had thyroid problems and couldn't lose weight to save his career, they let him finish his enlistment but he couldn't re-up, I saw pics of this guy before his thyroid issues and he was thin and muscular. But, obesity isn't the issue here. The issue is the MD government stepping in to help workers for Wal-Mart get adequate medical insurance. Some on here are blasting the government for getting involved, so I pose this thought. The governments (state and national) primary purpose is the welfare of its citizens. If the goverment had not stepped in we would not have a 40 hour work week, minimum wage, age limits for certain jobs, decent working conditions. If not for the government, we would still have 13 year olds running around working with dangerous equipment in sweatshops. History has shown that corporations have a terrible problem with exploiting their workers when they have the opportunity. Some have said that Wal-Mart should be left to deal with this situation on their own and the government stay out of it. Well, if you have ever worked for Wal-Mart as I have you would know that it is most certainly not the case. If this were the 1800's, Wal-Mart would be one of the worst violators of every deplorable working condition you could think of. Why? To save money of course. Paying 8% of their revenue is a drop in the bucket. Wal-Mart can most certainly afford to provide their employees with adequate health insurance, the problem is, they haven't been (at least for store workers). What is more important? Wal-Mart taking care of its workers, which they have a responsibility to do so. Or taking care of the customer by offering you the same everyday low prices at the expense of someones health. Maybe they figure that if a low educated low paid worker dies, there are plenty more to fill the hole.

Here's a little snippet about how Wal-Mart treats employees. When I worked at the Distro Center in Hope Mills, NC, I had a friend in another department who became pregnant. Her job was to take the freight that had been assigned a slot in the racks to the general area where myself or someone else would come along and put it in the assigned slot. The equipment she operated was had basically two long forks in the back that would raise about 6 inches and could haul 3 skids at a time, meaning it was steered by standing on the front end of the machine with the controls, meaning, her stomach and everything was exposed, if there were any type of accident her stomach and unborn child would be the first thing to hit anything. Well, as her pregnancy progressed and she got bigger she was still operating the maching to the point when she was 7 or 8 months pregnant. When she asked them to assign her to another area until after she gave birth, management told her "If you can't do the job you were hired to do then there is no job here for you." Remember, at Wal-Mart "People come first" (unless you're an employee.)

[BowJoe]

Sluggo, you never cease to amaze me. I again have to agree with you. Very good perspective.

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
Most (Some) people are obese because they eat too much and are too lazy to get up off their rears.......

[/ QUOTE ]

Underactive thyroid is a factor in a miniscule percentage in cases of obesity. If this is what the friend suffers from, then I do apologize.


[ QUOTE ]
The governments (state and national) primary purpose is the welfare of its citizens.

[/ QUOTE ]

Only in the marxist mind of a liberal. Most free-thinking American's think the government's job should be to maintain a military, build roads and let me (the free citizen) use capitalism to take care of myself.


[ QUOTE ]
Paying 8% of their revenue is a drop in the bucket. Wal-Mart can most certainly afford to provide their employees with adequate health insurance....

[/ QUOTE ]

Only in the marxist mind of a liberal. Sluggo......sometimes your inability to grasp the basic fundamentals of a free, capitalistic society amazes me. But it puts you in some very famous company. Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Charlie Schumer and John Kerry couldn't have said it better. A dubious distinction, but a distinction.

[slugshooter]

[ QUOTE ]
The governments (state and national) primary purpose is the welfare of its citizens.

[/ QUOTE ]

Only in the marxist mind of a liberal. Most free-thinking American's think the government's job should be to maintain a military, build roads and let me (the free citizen) use capitalism to take care of myself.

From the Preamble to the Constitution: We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."


[ QUOTE ]
Paying 8% of their revenue is a drop in the bucket. Wal-Mart can most certainly afford to provide their employees with adequate health insurance....

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Only in the marxist mind of a liberal. Sluggo......sometimes your inability to grasp the basic fundamentals of a free, capitalistic society amazes me. But it puts you in some very famous company. Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Charlie Schumer and John Kerry couldn't have said it better. A dubious distinction, but a distinction.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess if I were a liberal that statement would apply, but since I am not, it doesn't. There is a lot more to the US Constitution than providing a military. Most free thinking Americans believe in the Constitution and what it stands for, not just what is most popular at the time.

Let me pose this question to you Strut10. If businesses were free to do however they pleased, as you seem to be proposing. Where would we be today. Like I said earlier, there would be deplorable working conditions, no health insurance, inadequate pay, etc. etc. etc. This has nothing to do with communism or Marxism, it has to do with the welfare of US citizens and employees of companies that have an obligation to provide and take care of their employees. I could understand if what the State of MD has done would severely hurt Wal-Marts operation in the state and the rest of the country, but it doesn't and won't. What would you think if that was your wife on that machinery, 8 months pregnant in a job that could endanger her life and your childs. Would you be upset, or would you say "Well honey, this is a capitalistic society, and they hired you to do a job, so you better do it."

Are you saying that Wal-Mart should not provide any health insurance whatsoever? Should they be able to short change their employees? Shoot, lets let them not pay any taxes. Do you know what Wal-Mart demands makes when they want to build a store or Distro Center. They want local governments to bend over backwards for them in more ways than one, one of which is not paying taxes on land or revenue for x number of years. When they built the Wal-Mart DC here in Hope Mills, one of the demands Wal-Mart made was not to pay taxes on the property for 10 years, thats a lot of revenue. This has nothing to do with communism or marxism, it has to do with a company who feels they are powerful enough to do what they please, and it has to stop at some point.

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
From the Preamble to the Constitution: We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare (this does not mean the kind of welfare that cuts non-productive folks a check every month), and secure the blessings of liberty (these "blessings of liberty" also include the right to keep the hard earned rewards of prosperity) to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."


[ QUOTE ]
I guess if I were a liberal that statement would apply, but since I am not, it doesn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd like to take you at your word, 'Shooter. But you keep reiterating many of the libs' claptrap, talking points. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck..........it must be a duck.


[ QUOTE ]
There is a lot more to the US Constitution than providing a military.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed.

[ QUOTE ]
Most free thinking Americans believe in the Constitution and what it stands for, not just what is most popular at the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

As do I.

[ QUOTE ]
Let me pose this question to you Strut10. If businesses were free to do however they pleased, as you seem to be proposing. Where would we be today.

[/ QUOTE ]

We'd be in a heck of a lot better shape, economically, than we are today. The healthiest economy is one that runs freest from the ball & chain of governmental regulation. If businesses were not taxed and regulated to death, more of the wealth that ran through them would be available for voluntary distribution to the employees (through wage & benefit packages).

[ QUOTE ]
Like I said earlier, there would be deplorable working conditions, no health insurance, inadequate pay, etc. etc. etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what the unions (and their liberal, poodle politician constituency) would have you think. You don't think that if there were no regs. on business, there wouldn't be more competition (through wages, perks & bennies) to attract quality employees?? You know........supply (of employees) and demand (for those employees)??

[ QUOTE ]
This has nothing to do with communism or Marxism, it has to do with the welfare of US citizens and employees of companies that have an obligation to provide and take care of their employees.

[/ QUOTE ]

SAYS WHO???????????
Who ever said it was an employer's obligation to supply anything to an employee other than a paycheck for services rendered??????????

[ QUOTE ]
I could understand if what the State of MD has done would severely hurt Wal-Marts operation in the state and the rest of the country, but it doesn't and won't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh??? An additional, mandated loss of 8% total cash revenue doesn't affect a business????? Are you mad?? At the very least, the price of everything in Maryland Wal-Marts just went up 8%. Now...... who did the government just hose?? You & me, Suggo.

[ QUOTE ]
What would you think if that was your wife on that machinery, 8 months pregnant in a job that could endanger her life and your childs. Would you be upset, or would you say "Well honey, this is a capitalistic society, and they hired you to do a job, so you better do it."

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I would inform Wal-Mart of the law. They must preserve that job for a certain amount of time. I know that they will do it, too. A customer on my route had an accident at home, causing her to lose time at work (at Wal-Mart). Her job opening was preserved for a specified period of time. But that's off our original subject.

[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying that Wal-Mart should not provide any health insurance whatsoever? Should they be able to short change their employees?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope. I'm saying the government should not be able to mandate how much money they have to lay out for those benefits.


[ QUOTE ]
Shoot, lets let them not pay any taxes.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm all for that. Frees up more money for other things..........lowers the prices on the shelves.

[ QUOTE ]
Do you know what Wal-Mart demands makes when they want to build a store or Distro Center. They want local governments to bend over backwards for them in more ways than one, one of which is not paying taxes on land or revenue for x number of years. When they built the Wal-Mart DC here in Hope Mills, one of the demands Wal-Mart made was not to pay taxes on the property for 10 years, thats a lot of revenue. This has nothing to do with communism or marxism, it has to do with a company who feels they are powerful enough to do what they please, and it has to stop at some point.

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It has everything to do with the confiscatory policies and ideals of Marxism. It has everything to do with a government that has become way too big for its britches. Do you know how much tax revenue a Wal-Mart generates?????? Here's why I beg to differ when you claim you are not a liberal. Local governments should bend over backwards and kiss the ground behind them to get a Wal-Mart (or any other business) to establish in their area. Ther revenue generated by sales tax...........the revenue generated by all those new employees' payroll taxes.........the revenue generated by all those new employees spending their paychecks.........the revenue generated form all the other new people hired to serve the needs of the original new employees..............the revenue saved by a bunch of people coming off unemployment or welfare......... Reagnomics, buddy. It's worked every time it's been tried. But that's off our original subject, too.

[hutchies]

If we should let companies do whatever they please then why does the government have to set a minimum wage?

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

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If we should let companies do whatever they please then why does the government have to set a minimum wage?

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This should probably be debated in another thread, but...
The government should not set a minimum wage. It's an inherently inflationary practice.

[BowJoe]

I think that the state should look out for it's people and if a major retailer or corporation doesn't take care of it's own employees then who will. Are these people not worth it to Wally World? Unions do the same for workers everywhere else. I am not saying I am pro or anti union, I just think that it shouldn't have to resort to Wal-Mart being forced to take care of it's employees.